What Causes Obesity in America

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Have you ever thought about the causes of weight gain? I have heard people say genetics and the environment that we live in as being the two greatest causes of obesity. Growing up I never thought about obesity being a problem. In my mind I thought we were all the same and it didn’t matter how you looked. To this day I still think that same thing, but society tries to make you think that being skinny is beautiful and that’s how everyone should be. Society is wrong because skinny is not beautiful, instead being healthy and physically fit is beautiful. If you watch TV, go on the Internet or look through a magazine, I can guarantee that there will be something advertising weight loss and/or dieting. Not to mention that so many models we see are so thin, making young girls and women want to look like them. The media has such high standards for women and men to look a certain way, which can cause a drop in our self-confidence that can lead to depression and even eating disorders. This whole system is terrible in my opinion because we strive to achieve that perfect body, but then many factors get in the way of us reaching that goal.
I would first like to bring up the idea that obesity is caused by genetics. I have heard that genes do play a role in the development of obesity, but I do not believe that it’s a legitimate reason why a person is obese. If genetics was a cause of obesity, I myself would be overweight now, due to such a high number of my family members being overweight and obese. However, I am not because I find that eating healthy and getting exercise can offset that from happening. Yes, maybe some people will have a mutation in their cells or something goes wrong making it extremely hard to lose weight, but keep trying and...

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... the opening of his essay, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” With that said, limit the amount of healthy foods that are normally consumed by us Americans like refined grains and sweets as well as sugary dinks like soda. Increased physical activity, more sleep, and less “sitting time”, which would be like watching TV and being on the computer, is also a must in the prevention of obesity. We need to change the way America is today in order for a better tomorrow, and help pass on healthy ways of living to our children. With a little faith in ourselves we can be a healthier nation who strives to be physically fit and beautiful on the inside as well as the inside.

Works Cited

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/healthyliving/obesityandweight/whatcausesobesity/the-causes-of-obesity-genes-behaviour-and-the-environment

"Unhealthy Meals" by Michael Pollan

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